Fixture reflector aligner



1963 M. M. THOMSEN ETAL 3,100,086

FIXTURE REFLECTOR ALIGNER Filed Nov. 20, 1962 IO [5 ERNEST G. JOHNSON MAX M. THOMSEN F l G 2 INVENTORS ATTORNEY rates This invention relates to electric lighting fixtures and more particularly to fixtures employing elongated tubular light sources, such as fluorescent lamps.

Many of these fixtures usually comprise a housing, an inverted trough-shaped reflector secured to and depending from the housing and a pair of end caps secured to the housing and the reflector. The end caps contribute substantially to the over-all rigidity of the fixture. They also tend to maintain the reflector in proper alignment. In recent years the concept of continuous rows of lighting units rather than Widely spaced individual fixtures has received considerable acceptance. In installations of this type, the end caps are usually discarded and the fixtures disposed end-to-end in very close proximity to one another. Under these circumstances reflector alignment has left much to be desired because the end caps are no longer available to impart thereto the desired structural rigidity which heretofore had contributed substantially to reflector alignment.

In an effort to overcome this structural deficiency, a number of different aligners have been employed. They usually comprise a strap, formed to the contour of the adjacent reflectors and bridging the gap therebetween. The upper end of these straps is usually formed to cooperate in interlocking engagement with slots in the top of the reflectors or in the adjacent side walls of the chassis. The lower end of these straps is usually provided with some sort of fastening device for drawing the straps tightly down on the reflectors. These fastening devices usually are arranged in interlocking engagement with the lower longitudinal edges of the reflectors.

Although aligners of the foregoing type have been satisfactory functionally, they have generally detracted rather than enhanced the installation aesthetically. The symmetry and simple lines of the continuous row installations is marred by the plurality of fastening devices of substantial size and unattractive configuration.

In view of the foregoing, a principal object of this invention is to provide a reflector aligner which overcomes the above-described deficiencies which characterize the reflector aligners used heretofore.

Another object is to provide a reflector aligner which is relatively small in size, positive in its action and quite unobtrusive in appearance.

These and other objects, advantages and features are attained, in accordance with the principles of the invention, by a spring clip of a particular configuration which spans the space between adjacent reflectors along the lower longitudinal edges thereof, the lower longitudinal edges of the reflectors, in turn, being shaped to a particular configuration to cooperate most effectively with the spring clip. The spring clip is small in size, positive in its action and quite unobtrusive in appearance.

In the accompanying drawing,

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, perspective detail of adjacent fixture reflectors with the aligner of this invention secured thereto.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view on an enlarged scale of the aligner of this invention shown in interlocking engagement with a reflector which is shown in fragmentary section.

The aligner of this invention is designed particularly for use with a reflector of the type shown in US. Patent D. 193,802 which issued on October 9, 1962. More particularly, it is designed for use with a reflector, the lower longitudinal portions of which are shaped substantially as shown in the referenced patent, i.e., inwardly facing channels. Heretofore the design of aligners has been eflfected somewhat independently of the design of reflectors, as a result of which a small, unobtrusive aligner capable of satisfactory performance was quite difficult to devise. However, it has been found that when the design of the lower longitudinal portions of the reflector is effected in coordination with the design of an aligner, the objects of this invention can be attained most efliciently and most eflectively.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the aligner of this invention is in the form of a spring clip 1 fabricated from a single blank. The blank is characterized by a main body 3 which may be provided with an embossment 5 located substantially midway between the transverse ends thereof. The embossment 5 provides clearance for transverse fins employed with some types of light shielding units and enhances the overall appearance of the clips 1 in continuous row lighting installations. The upper longitudinal portion of the blank is provided with a central relief 7 substantially co-extensive in width with the width of the embossment 5. The lower longitudinal portion of the blank is provided with a central relief 9 preferably substantially greater in width than the width of the emboss-ment 5. The unrelieved upper longitudinal portions of the blank are curled to define upper loops 11. The unrelieved lower longitudinal portions of the blank are bent inwardly and then bent back on themselves to define pockets 15 and finally are curled to define lower loops 19.

The lighting fixture with which the aligner of this invention is particularly designed to be employed is of the type which is characterized by an inwardly turned channel defining the lower longitudinal portions of the reflector thereof, substantially as shown in the accompanying drawing. The lower longitudinal portion of each of the reflectors 2 is provided with an inwardly facing channel 4 comprising an outwardly extending leg 6, a base 8 and an inwardly extending leg 10. The base 8 of each channel 4 is indented at at least one point 12 (FIG. 1) near each end thereof to define an inwardy projecting nub 14 (FIG. 2) which serves as a stop and prevents longitudinal shifting of the aligner which might tend to occur, for example in installations where there is considerable environmental vibration.

In continuous row installations of lighting fixtures of the type described above, the reflectors 2 thereof are spaced from one another substantially as shown in FIG- URE 1 and the spring clip 1 which comprises the aligner of this invention is secured to the channels 4 of adjacent reflectors and bridges the gap therebetween. Affixation of the clip 1 is effected by manipulating the lower longitudinal portion thereof to effect insertion of the inwardly extending leg 10 of each channel 4 of each reflector 2 into its corresponding pocket 15. The main body 3 of the clip 1 is then laid up against the base 8 of each channel 4 of each reflector 2. and sufficient force is applied thereto to draw the lower loops 19 tightly up against the corresponding inside face of the base 8 of each channel 4 and to cause the upper loops 11 to overlie the outside face of the outwardly extending leg 6 of each corresponding channel 4 and be in firm frictional engagement therewith.

What we claim is:

1. An aligner for connecting to one another the lower longitudinal portions of a pair of lighting fixture reflectors arranged end-to-end in close proximity to one another, the lower longitudinal portion of each of said reflectors being characterized by an outwardly extending shelf, an inwardly turned flange and a substantially vertical leg connecting said shelf and said flange, said aligner comprising a blank having a main body portion overlying the vertical leg of said reflector; a pair of upper loops spaced from one another and formed along the upper longitudinal portion of said blank, each of said upper loops "being in firm frictional engagement with the outwardly extending shelf of each of said reflectors; and a pair of lower loops spaced from one another and formed along the lower longitudinal portion of said blank, each of said lower loops being in firm frictional engagement with the inside face of the vertical leg of each of said reflectors.

2. An 'align'er for connecting to one another the lower longitudinal portions of a pair of lighting fixture reflectors arranged end-'to end in close proximity to one another, the lower longitudinal portion of each of said reflectors being characterized by an outwardly extending shelf, an inwardly turned flange and a substantially vertical leg connec'ting said shelf and said flange, said aligner com- Zprising a blank having a main body with a centrally located upper and lower relief, the unrelieved upper longitudinal portions being curled to define a pair of spaced upper loops, and the unrelieved lower longitudinal portions being bent inwardly and then back on themselves to define a 'pair of pockets and finally cu'rled to define a .ipair of spaced lower loops, the unrelieved portions of the body of said aligner overlying said vertical legs of 25 said reflectors, the upper loops of said aligner being in firm frictional engagement with said outwardly extending shelves of said reflectors, the lower loops of said aligner being in firm frictional engagement with the inside faces of said vertical legs of said reflectors, and the inwardly turned flanges of said reflectors being disposed in said pockets of said aligner.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the vertical leg of each reflector is provided with a protuberance for preventing longitudinal shifting of said aligner.

4. The combination of-claim 2 in which the vertical leg of each reflector is provided with a protuberance for preventing longitudinal shifting of said aligner.

5. The combination of claim 1 in which the main body portion of said aligner is provided with a centrallylocated embossr'nent.

6. The combination of claim 2 in which the main body of said aligner is provided with a centrally located embossme'nt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. AN ALIGNER FOR CONNECTING TO ONE ANOTHER THE LOWER LONGITUDINAL PORTIONS OF A PAIR OF LIGHTING FIXTURE REFLECTORS ARRANGED END-TO-END IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ONE ANOTHER, THE LOWER LONGITUDINAL PORTION OF EACH OF SAID REFLECTORS BEING CHARACTERIZED BY AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING SHELF, AN INWARDLY TURNED FLANGE AND A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL LEG CONNECTING SAID SHELF AND SAID FLANGE, SAID ALIGNER COMPRISING A BLANK HAVING A MAIN BODY PORTION OVERLYING THE VERTICAL LEG OF SAID REFLECTOR; A PAIR OF UPPER LOOPS SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND FORMED ALONG THE UPPER LONGITUDINAL PORTION OF SAID BLANK, EACH OF SAID UPPER LOOPS BEING IN FIRM FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTWARDLY EXTENDING SHELF OF EACH OF SAID REFLECTORS; AND A PAIR OF LOWER LOOPS SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND FORMED ALONG THE LOWER LONGITUDINAL PORTION OF SAID BLANK, EACH OF SAID LOWER LOOPS BEING IN FIRM FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INSIDE FACE OF THE VERTICAL LEG OF EACH OF SAID REFLECTORS. 